All-party meet on Kashmir to decide on AFSPA today

NEW DELHI: Centre has convened an all-party meeting on Kashmir on Wednesday. This was decided after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday.

The all-party meeting on Wednesday, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will take a final decision on a Kashmir package, including withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), measures to control violence in the Valley and dialogue with separatists.

Defence minister A K Antony said, "Before we take a final decision, it is better to involve everyone."

The core group meeting of ruling National Conference has decided to send a five-member delegation headed by party president Farooq Abdullah to the all-party meeting to reiterate its stand on withdrawal of AFSPA and restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.

The government on Tuesday had rejected internal differences over the contentious AFSPA and expressed confidence that a solution will be found, even as the BJP accused the government of placating secessionists in the Valley.

The CCS, on Monday, had deferred a decision on withdrawing the AFSPA from certain parts of Jammu and Kashmir. This was one of the measures being considered to defuse the volatile situation in the Valley, where 88 people, mainly teenagers and youth, have died in violent protests since June 11.